1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus wherein replaceable parts are to be replaced in connection with the frequency of use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatus are already available which have a total counter for counting the total number of copies produced. These image forming apparatus include maintenance parts which become consumed or deteriorate with the frequency of use and need to be replaced. The count value of the total counter serves as an index for maintenance, such that a particular maintenance part is replaced, for example, upon the count value reaching 100,000. When to replace the maintenance part is predicted based on the experience of the serviceman and with reference to the count value of the total counter and to the data acquired by the serviceman and concerning the environment in which the apparatus is installed, frequency of use and characteristics peculiar to each apparatus.
However, when the time of replacement of the maintenance part is predicted based on the experience of the serviceman as stated above, there arises the problem that the prediction of the replacement time is liable to involve errors if the serviceman is not fully experienced or the data collected is insufficient.